The present invention relates to electronic timelines for data displays. More specifically, the invention relates a Dynamic Timeline that allows users to view different historical information by changing the dynamic setting information.
As computer technology has advanced, encyclopedias have been published in electronic form. These electronic encyclopedias make it possible to compile vast amounts of information on a few computer discs. Although electronic encyclopedias have made historical information more accessible and less expensive, many users feel lost in the sea of information that is available in electronic encyclopedias.
In order to make historical information more understandable and useful, some electronic encyclopedias have electronic timeliness. These electronic timelines are typically large, scrollable graphical elements marked with events and time periods. These timelines help users see events in relation to other historical events, and allow users to view historical data in chronological order. These electronic timelines have a simple search interface that allows users to pull up and scroll through a static list of events or dates. For example, a user is able to scroll through the 1900s and see historical events of the 1900s listed on a timeline in chronological order.
Although these electronic timelines are very useful, they lack services that users need because they are static and fixed data structures. Users want to be able to view information that is relevant to their research. Existing electronic timelines lack provisions to allow user selectivity of which events and/or time periods should be shown.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a timeline that can allow users to select dates and subjects and retrieve related information. Furthermore, users need a method and system that can create customized timelines and compare different historical aspects of a certain time period. Users also need to be able to view different time periods and differing levels of detail on a timeline. A further need in the art exists for a timeline that can display prioritized information. In addition, there is a need to highlight individual events and trends that occur over longer periods of time, present an editorial perspective on events, provide a geographical and prehistory perspective, and provide a textual view of events.
The present invention satisfies the above-described needs by providing a Dynamic Timeline for a computer-based information source, such as an electronic encyclopedia. The Dynamic Timeline can display Links. Links are a few words in a box that refer to a time period, topic, or event. When the user chooses the Link, he is taken to an array of information about the Link time period, topic, or event. The Links are listed in chronological order on the Dynamic Timeline. The information that is shown on the Dynamic Timeline can be determined by a priority configuration. The Dynamic Timeline allows users to view different Links by changing some dynamic settings.
The present invention is a computer-implemented process for generating a dynamic timeline. It first determines a center year for the selected time period and a pair of boundary years. It next obtains the Links within the boundary years. It then determines the Links that fit in a window frame. Finally, it renders the timeline.
The present invention can have three types of objects: a Data object, a Grid object and a View object. The Data object collects relevant Links and sorts Links by priority. The Grid object can determine how many Links fit on the screen and where they should be painted. The View object gets dynamic setting information and gives it to the Grid object. The View object can include a Main Window, Time Periods, Tools, a Scroll, a Zoom, and a Time Axis. The Main Window can display the Links and a Watermark. The Time Periods include features that enables the user to view information about various time periods, such as a Geologic Timeline, a Prehistory Timeline, 400 B.C., 800, 1600, 1800 and 1950. The Tools can have a Topic or Year feature, a Category and Place feature, and a Compare feature.
The first time the user enters the timeline from an introductory screen, the Main Window can use some default dynamic settings to create a default timeline. Once the default timeline has been created, the present invention can allow the user to change the dynamic settings. The user can change the settings for the Time Periods, the Tools, the Scroll, and the Zoom. Once the dynamic settings are changed, the center year, the boundary years and the relevant Links are identified prior to painting the Links, the Time Axis, and the Watermark on the computer screen.
The present invention also allows a user to view events in the timeline on a list that can be copied and printed. To access this aspect the user can select the View as List from the View object.